Automatic release mechanism for highway barriers



March 27, 1934. p C BUTTE 1,952,234

AUTOMATIC RELEASE MECHANISM FOR HIGHWAY BARRIERS Original Filed June 4, 1932 3 Sheats-Sh eet l W 5 LB L IN V EN TOR. PA u L .l: EluTTE. 9 k

A TTORNE Y.

March 27, 1934. c, BUTTE 1,952,234

AUTOMATIC RELEASE MECHANISM FOR HIGHWAY BARRIERS Original Filed June 4, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v I Q Q INVEN TOR.

BY Hm L.E.BUTTE 8k \Mgf Z7 7URNEY.

"March 27, 1934. P, B T E 1,952,234

AUTOMATIC RELEASE MECHANISM FOR HIGHWAY BARRIERS Original Filed June 4, 1932 3 Shuts-Sheet 3 FIG. 5

IN V EN TOR.

BY 5w LE. ElUTTE. 8.x

A TTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 27, I934 AUTOMATIC RELEASE MECHANISM FOR HIGHWAY BARRIERS Paul 0. Butte, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to Joseph B. Strauss, San' Francisco, Calif.

Application June 4, 1932, Serial No. 615,454 RenewedAugust 8, 1933 6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic release mechanism for highway barriers.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means for releasing a highway barrier if struck during its movement from inoperative to operative position.

A further object is to provide means whereby the barrier will be locked to a retarding mechanism when said barrier is in operative position.

A further object is to produce a device which is economical to manufacture and one which may be applied to highway barriers of this character now in operation without materially altering their construction.

Otherobjectsand advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a highway barrier support having my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the unlocking bar,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the release mechanism, the housing therefore and locking bar being shown in cross section,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3, portions'there being shown in elevation,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view similar t Fig. 4 showing the barrier holder at the instant of release, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view partly in cross section on a reduced scale, showing the device in unlocked. position and drawn out of the housing.

Highway barriers are employed for the purpose of preventing vehicles crossing railway tracks or bridges at certain times. These barriers in some instances, -include spaced supports located upon the opposite sides of the highway, which supports have carriers mounted therein, which carriers support therebetween, a flexible barrier adapted to be contacted by a vehicle preceding along the highway should the vehicle fail to stop previous to reaching the barrier. Retarding means are employed for stopping vehicles if they contact the barrier without injury to the vehicle 5 or its occupants.

It sometimes occurs that a vehicle may approach the barrier just as the same is moving to operative position with the result that the barrier may engage the upper portion of the vehicle and unless some release mechanism is provided this engagement is liable to result in serious injury to the vehicle and the occupants. Applicant has therefore devised a very simple mechanism whereby the barrier will be automatically released from the retarding mechanism if struck at anytime previous to its reaching its operative position.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 5 designates one of the posts of the barrier, upon which is mounted a carrier 6, which carrier has cables 7 and 8 reaved thereon and connected to a retarding mechanism. The ends of these cables 7 and 8 are in turn connected to barrier cables 9 and 11 through the mechanism which forms the present invention. As the connecting means for both of the cables and their respective barrier cables, is identical but one will be described.

Referring now to Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 it willbe noted that a casing 12 is attached to the carrier 6 in such a manner that one of the cables, for instance the cable 8, extends through an opening 13 in the housing 12 and has a stop block 14 attached thereto. This stop block carries a pair of-pivoted dogs 16 and 17 which are adapted to engage an annular flange 18 formed upon the barrier holder 19 to which the cable 9 is attached. A ring 21 is slidable on the dogs 16 and 17 and is designed to hold the nose of the dogs in engagement with the flange 18 as best illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6. It will here be noted that the dogs 16 and 17 are each provided with an outwardly turned cam as shown at 22 and23, respectively, so that when the ring 21 is moved from the position of Fig. 4 to that of Fig. 5 the dogs will be reelased from their engagement with .90 the flange 18 thus releasing the barrier holder from its connection to the stop block 14 and cable 8. In order to eifect this release I provide a bai;

24 having openings 26 and 27 therein. This barpasses through the housing 12 upon the carrier and may be actuated in any desired manner. In the present instance I have shown a rocker bar 28 moved through the medium of a solenoid 29. By viewing Fig. 2 it will be noted that the openings 26 and 27 are circular in shape and. have off-set recesses 31 and 32.

The result of this construction is that while the barrier is moving into operative position, the solenoid 29 is de-energized and therefore the bar 24 is lowered to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the result being that the sides of the bar adjacent the recesses 31 will be in alignment with the ring 21 and therefore if a vehicle strikes the barrier the initial movement of the barrier will cause the block 14 and its attached parts to tend to move out of the housing 12, and as a result the ring will contact the sides of the bar 24 and be moved over the dogs and onto the cams 22 and 23 thereof. This will move the noses of the dogs out of engagement with the flange 18 of the barrier holder thus releasing theentire barrier so that it may be carried forwardly by the "vehicle contacting the same, thus eliminating any possibility of the barrier injuring the contacting vehicle or its occupants.

Now assuming that the barrier has reached its operative position immediately upon reaching this operative position the solenoid. 29 will be actuated, thus moving the bar 24 through the action of the lever 28 to such a position that the circular openings 26 and 27 will be in axial alignment with the interior of the housing 12, or in other Words in such a position that should a vehicle now strike the barrier the result will be that the barrier holder and attached cable 8 will move outwardly oi the housing as illustrated in Fig. 6. It

is of course obvious that the retarding mechanism connected to the cable 8 will immediately come into play and. gradually stop the movement of the vehicle contacting the barrier.

It willthus be apparent, from the above, that my device permits the barrier to be released from the retarding mechanism at any time during its movement into operative position and to immediately lock the barrier to the retarding mechanismat any time during its movement into operative position and to immediately lock the barrier to the retarding mechanism as soon as the barrier has reached. operative position.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that that various changes relative to the material, size,

shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:- 1. In combination with a highway barrier capable of being moved into operative and inoperative position, of a barrier holder, a holder retaining member, and releasing means associated with said retaining member whereby said holder is capable of being released from said retaining means during the movement of the barrier into operative position.

2. In combination with a highway barrier capable of being moved into operative and inoperative position, of a barrier holder, at stop block secured to the barrier supporting mechanism,

means for ,retaining said holder to said block, means for locking said retaining means, and

meansfor releasing said locking means.

block and said barrier. holder, a ring slidable on said dogs, and means for engaging said ring whereby said dogs will be moved into unlocked position when said barrier is in inoperative position should said barrier be contacted by a moving vehicle,

4. In combination with a highway barrier capable of being moved into operative and inoperative position, of a barrier holder, a stop block secured to the barrier supporting mechanism, means for retaining said holder to said block, said means including a pair of dogs interposed between said block and said barrier holder, a ring slidable on said dogs, a movable member capable of being moved into the path of movement of said rings, whereby when said holder and said retainer are moved with respect to said movable member, said dogs will be disengaged from said holder.

5. In combination with a highway barrier capable of being moved into operative and inoperative position, of a barrier holder, a stop block secured to, the barrier supporting mechanism,

means for retaining said holder'to said block,

said means including a pair of dogs interposed between said block and said barrier holder, a ring slidable on said dogs, a movable member capable of being moved into the path of movement of said rings, whereby when said holder and said.

retainer are moved with respect to said movable member, said dogs Will be disengaged from said holder, and remote control means for actuating said movable member.

6. In combination with a highway barrier ca'- pable of being moved into operative position and inoperative position, of a housing having a cable extending thereinto, a stop block secured to said housing, a pair of dogs secured to said step block, a barrier holder engagingv said stop block and having an annular flange formed thereon and adapted to be engaged by said dogs, cams formed on said dogs, a ring slidable on said dogs,'a bar slidable through said'housing and adapted to be moved into and out-of the path of said ring, whereby when said bar is in the path of said ring said ring will be moved on said dogs to engage said cams and release said dogs-from said flange when a barrier connected to said barrier holderis con- PAUL .C. BUTTE. 

